Andreas Kyriakou on how to be a stereotypical Cypriot man!
Freelance writer Andreas Kyriakou has published a so-called ‘self-help book’ which he hopes will help non-Cypriot men become real Cypriots!
Billed as ‘a humorous book of sarcasm and romance’, the Norwegian-born author describes How to be a Cypriot Man as “a funny, sarcastic but also sometimes serious self-help book, with added erotic fiction stories.”
Clocking in at roughly 150 pages, and available both in print and online, the book is, Andreas adds, “about half serious, half humorous. I want the reader not only to be entertained by the fictional process of turning themselves into a true Cypriot man, but also to be educated about the Greek world.”
To this end, the 16 chapters cover both amusement (‘Be A playboy’, ‘Family, Religion, and the Mafia’, and ‘Ten Warnings About Cypriot Women’) and more solemn subjects, including Greek music, an abbreviated history of the island, and a chapter on Limassol.
“I’m originally from Limassol,” Andreas reveals, “and I love it. Although I was brought up in Norway, close to Oslo, and still live there, I visit Cyprus every summer.” He continues, “I love Cyprus and feel very proud of my heritage. And that was one of the reasons for writing the book…”
Andreas has captured the real ‘kamaki’ spirit in his prose, creating a protagonist who loves his wine, women and song: “In this self-help book I will show you how to really become a Cypriot man. I will teach you simply. All the answers are in this book… Just follow my tips. I promise you it will solve your long-standing hunger to finally be a real Cypriot. You will not regret this. Thousands of girls will come knocking at your door. You will be the true Cypriot lover. I will fix everything for you. The rest of your life will be like an amazing Greek Cypriot dream. Cyp up your life!” it claims.
Drawing from a pool of inspiration which included the stories he heard from his uncle’s friends – “they spent the eighties on the beach chatting up Scandinavian girls! There’s a big part of the ‘kamaki’ element to the protagonist in this book,” he chuckles – the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and a host of stereotypes, Andreas managed to write the text within a year.
“There’s a fine line between comedy, seriousness, self-help, and marketability. Originally, I was going to call it ‘How to Become a Greek Man’, but ultimately decided to go with what I knew best. It’s more of a niche market as well, so hopefully that will help to endear it to those who have visited the island or know Cyprus well.”
While he admits the book’s erotic elements may not be to everyone’s taste, Andreas hopes that “people don’t take it too seriously!”
He explained, “I know Cyprus; I know the men of Cyprus, and it was great fun to create this stereotype who’s hot-tempered and stubborn, who loves women and halloumi and frappé almost more than life itself! There may be mixed reactions, but you’re always going to get complaints and that’s fine. Basically, it’s aimed at an audience who know Cyprus, people who’ve come across the Greek Cypriot man before and will enjoy reading it tongue-in-cheek.”
He concluded, “I want all kinds of people to enjoy reading the book. I believe Cypriots/Greeks will be entertained by it because they will recognize and can relate to the stereotypes.”
How to Become a Cypriot Man by Andreas H Kyriakou is available on Amazon in both paperback (approx. £5) and on Kindle (approx. £2)